How the Test is Performed

How to Prepare for the Test

You may be told not to eat or drink anything for 6 hours before the test. Your health care provider will tell you if it is necessary to stop taking any medicines that may interfere with this test. Tell your provider about all the medicines you are taking, both prescription and nonprescription.

How the Test will Feel

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or slight bruising. This soon goes away.

Normal Results

Normal results range between 1.0 to 7.5 units per liter. There is a slight difference between men and women.

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.

Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited disorders that cause muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue, which get worse over time.

Review date:

December 7, 2016

Reviewed by:

Gordon A. Starkebaum, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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